On fish: Braised Fillets of John Dory with Soy, Ginger & Celery Recipe
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 29
Words by Nathan Outlaw
Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw distils three decades of experience as a foremost fish chef in a brand new handbook on cooking fish.
Braised Fillets of John Dory with Soy, Ginger & Celery
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 celery sticks, peeled and sliced
2 John Dory, 500g (1lb 2oz) each, filleted and skinned, each fillet cut into 3
6 spring onions, sliced
30g (1oz) fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the braising stock:
200ml (7fl oz) fish stock
100ml (3½fl oz) white wine
100ml (3½fl oz) water
100ml (3½fl oz) soy sauce
50ml (2fl oz) white wine vinegar
20g (¾oz) caster sugar
To serve:
1 orange, segmented
A handful of coriander leaves
2 spring onions, finely sliced
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Method
John Dory is a fish that varies in shape and size and can be tricky to get just right when you cook the fillets off the bone. I find it better to fillet the fish and then break it down into the natural ‘mini fillets’. This gives you six nice pieces from one fish, especially if they’re 1kg (2lb 4oz) plus, allowing you to check every piece of fish when cooking. Simply remove the smaller pieces as they’re done, leaving the thicker pieces to continue cooking. The cooking technique with this dish is nice and gentle, allowing you to see what’s going on. You can serve this as a starter or add some rice and extra vegetables for a main course.
Heat the ingredients for the braising stock in a large,
wide pan with a tight-fitting lid. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the celery to the pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Season the fish with salt and pepper, then add it to the pan along with the spring onions, ginger and chilli. Put the lid on and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Warm 4 serving bowls. Once the fish is cooked, share it among the bowls and pour over a few spoonfuls of the braising stock along with a portion of the braised celery. Add an orange segment to each piece of fish, scatter over the coriander leaves and spring onions, drizzle with the sesame oil and serve.
